This study was performed to determine the possibility of using mango fruit (Mangifera indica) in brewing technology. The aim of using the SPME-HS-GC-MS technique was to assess what changes occurred in the volatile composition of mango beers brewed in this study. Mango fruit was added to the beer in five different forms to ascertain what kind of preparation should be used to improve beer aroma. Analysis of the volatile components in mango beer showed that beer without mango addition was characterized by the lowest content of volatile compounds (1787.84 µg/100 mL). The addition of mango fruit increased the concentration of compounds, such as α-pinene, β-myrcene, terpinolene, α-terpineol, cis-β-ocimene, caryophyllene, and humulene, in beer. Beer prepared with mango pulp addition was characterized by the highest concentration of volatile components from mango beers (2112.15 µg/100 mL). Furthermore, beers with mango addition were characterized by a higher polyphenol content (up to 44% higher than control beer) and antioxidant activity than control beer and were evaluated by a trained panel as having a better taste and aroma than beer without fruit addition.

One of the most common diseases of old age in modern societies is glaucoma. It is strongly connected with increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and could permanently damage vision in the affected eye. As there are only a limited number of chemical compounds that can decrease IOP as well as blood flow in eye vessels, the up-to-date investigation of new molecules is important. The chemical composition of the dried Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas L.) polar, iridoid-polyphenol-rich fraction was investigated. Loganic acid (50%) and pelargonidin-3-galactoside (7%) were found as the main components. Among the other constituents, iridoid compound cornuside and the anthocyans cyanidin 3-O-galactoside, cyanidin 3-O-robinobioside, and pelargonidin 3-O-robinobioside were quantified in the fraction. In an animal model (New Zealand rabbits), the influence of loganic acid and the polyphenolic fraction isolated from Cornelian cherry fruit was investigated. We found a strong IOP-hypotensive effect for a 0.7% solution of loganic acid, which could be compared with the widely ophthalmologically used timolol. About a 25% decrease in IOP was observed within the first 3 hours of use.

Drying can prolong the shelf life of a product by reducing microbial activities while facilitating its transportation and storage by decreasing the product weight and volume. The quality factors of the drying process are among the important issues in the drying of food and agricultural products. In this study, the effects of several independent variables such as the temperature of the drying air (50, 60, and 70 °C) and the thickness of the samples (2, 4, and 6 mm) were studied on the response variables including the quality indices (color difference and shrinkage) and drying factors (drying time, effective moisture diffusivity coefficient, specific energy consumption (SEC), energy efficiency and dryer efficiency) of the turnip slices dried by a hybrid convective-infrared (HCIR) dryer. Before drying, the samples were treated by three pretreatments: microwave (360 W for 2.5 min), ultrasonic (at 30 °C for 10 min) and blanching (at 90 °C for 2 min). The statistical analyses of the data and optimization of the drying process were achieved by the response surface method (RSM) and the response variables were predicted by the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model. The results indicated that an increase in the dryer temperature and a decline in the thickness of the sample can enhance the evaporation rate of the samples which will decrease the drying time (40–20 min), SEC (from 168.98 to 21.57 MJ/kg), color difference (from 50.59 to 15.38) and shrinkage (from 67.84% to 24.28%) while increasing the effective moisture diffusivity coefficient (from 1.007 × 10−9 to 8.11 × 10−9 m2/s), energy efficiency (from 0.89% to 15.23%) and dryer efficiency (from 2.11% to 21.2%). Compared to ultrasonic and blanching, microwave pretreatment increased the energy and drying efficiency; while the variations in the color and shrinkage were the lowest in the ultrasonic pretreatment. The optimal condition involved the temperature of 70 °C and sample thickness of 2 mm with the desirability above 0.89. The ANFIS model also managed to predict the response variables with R2 > 0.96.

Beer with the addition of dotted hawthorn (Crataegus punctata) fruit and juice was prepared and analysed. The content of carbohydrates, glycerol and ethanol in beers was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Analysis of the total content of polyphenols was also performed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, as well as determining antioxidant capacity by DPPH• and ABTS+• assay, and the ability to reduce iron ions by FRAP assay. Content of volatile compounds was analysed by means of solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy. Beers with addition of hawthorn, both juice and fruit, had higher antioxidative potential and higher polyphenols concentration compared to control beer. The content of polyphenols in beers was in the range 200.5–410.0 mg GAE/L, and the antioxidant activity was in the range of 0.936–2.04 mmol TE/L (ABTS+• assay), 0.352–2.175 mmol TE/L (DPPH• assay) and 0.512–1.35 mmol TE/L (FRAP assay). A sensory evaluation of beers was also carried out. Beer with hawthorn fruit addition obtained the best scores in sensory analysis for criteria such as aroma, taste and overall quality. This beer had the highest content of volatile compounds (287.9 µg/100 mL of beer), while the control beer had lowest concentrations (35.9 µg/100 mL of beer).

The present study examined the effect of ultrasonic pretreatment at three time the levels of 10, 20 and 30 min on some thermodynamic (effective moisture diffusivity coefficient(Deff), drying time, specific energy consumption (SEC), energy efficiency, drying efficiency, and thermal efficiency) and physical (color and shrinkage) properties of kiwifruit under hybrid hot air-infrared(HAI) dryer at different temperatures (50, 60 and 70 °C) and different thicknesses (4, 6 and 8 mm). A total of 11 mathematical models were applied to represent the moisture ratio (MR) during the drying of kiwifruit. The fitting of MR mathematical models to experimental data demonstrated that the logistic model can satisfactorily describe the MR curve of dried kiwifruit with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.9997, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.0177 and chi-square (χ2) of 0.0007. The observed Deff of dried samples ranged from 3.09 × 10−10 to 2.26 × 10−9 m2/s. The lowest SEC, color changes and shrinkage were obtained as 36.57 kWh/kg, 13.29 and 25.25%, respectively. The highest drying efficiency, energy efficiency, and thermal efficiency were determined as 11.09%, 7.69% and 10.58%, respectively. The results revealed that increasing the temperature and ultrasonic pretreatment time and decreasing the sample thickness led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in drying efficiency, thermal efficiency, and energy efficiency, while drying time, SEC and shrinkage significantly decreased (p < 0.05).